Coin-Op Rinse only In Winter?

**SonataLF** · 01-14-2016, 05:14 PM

Well the winter temperatures are finally here and they have started to salt the roads even though we have only had a dusting of snow. I don't have a garage and there are no touch-less washes within 30 miles of me. Would I be safe just using the coin-op to rinse my car wih water only to get the salt and stuff off and use the hand dryer to get most of the water off the car? Am I asking for water spots with this method?

- Better leaving it alone until we get safely above freezing to do my normal ONR?
- Take a gamble and use the coin-op high pressure soap(hope its not total crap) before rinsing?

Thanks for entertaining the craziness. Lol

**ScottB** · 01-14-2016, 06:13 PM

I would consider using one of those spray booths to pre-rinse and clean wheels, wells, and underbody as possible. Get the salt off as soon as possible.

Having never lived in a freezing winter, I am certain others could share their best practices.

**ct18** · 01-14-2016, 08:12 PM

I go to the spray bays and knock off the salt crust with just water. I do have a garage and that is where i do my rinseless after. If no garage i would just spray it down as often as needed until the warm weather comes back.

**expdetailing** · 01-14-2016, 09:17 PM

No, you will not be able to dry after spraying the car because there will still be a film of dirt/road film/ etc. After spraying, give it a waterless/rinseless wash.

**tguil** · 01-14-2016, 09:19 PM

You really need to use the coin-op soap. It may remove some wax, but it won't hurt the paint. If the temperature is above freezing use several high quality towels to dry as many panels as your can. If you have the time, apply something like Meguiar's Wash and Wax Anywhere to the wet vehicle one panel at a time before drying with the towel. Give the dried panel a quick buff with a microfiber polishing cloth. Presto...a winter wash and wax job.

**expdetailing** · 01-14-2016, 10:05 PM

Originally Posted by expdetailing

No, you will not be able to dry after spraying the car because there will still be a film of dirt/road film/ etc. After spraying, give it a waterless/rinseless wash.

I like what he said. He seams like he knows his stuff. I mean, who would towel dry just after only spraying down the car? Doesn't the coin-op brush serve a purpose? Yes, it does. To remove the dirt. If the sprayer removed all of the dirt, what's the need for the brush?

**Mike@ShineStruck** · 01-14-2016, 10:06 PM

Not best practice.. But I literally don't wash the car during winter months
With the constant salt throwdown and kickup its a lost cause

**Calendyr** · 01-15-2016, 08:28 AM

During winter time, all I do is pressure wash the car with water only. Soap would not cause a problem but it's pretty much impossible to keep the car clean for more than a day here in Montreal... so I don't waste my time trying to get it perfect. For me, it's a matter or removing salt and grime, not making it look perfect.

The key is to apply a good protective layer before it starts to snow, and then just maintenance clean it during the winter months.

If you haven't done it already, Aquapel is amazing during winter. It makes removing snow and ice from windows so easy.

**Desertnate** · 01-15-2016, 08:46 AM

Originally Posted by nothingface5384

Not best practice.. But I literally don't wash the car during winter months
With the constant salt throwdown and kickup its a lost cause

I use a slightly modified approach.

Once the weather hits and the temperatures get really cold, I only go through touch touchless car washes. I've found two or three in my area which have an undercarriage spray to get the salt off the important bits underneath.

Do the touchless washes get everything off? Nope. On my black car it's a little obvious, but when there is a constant pray of grime off the roads there is no real point in going for a show-quality wash.

I will admit things are a little different this winter. Yesterday I did treat my car to a touchless and then a waterless wash once I got home. The weather was just too warm not to take advantage of the situation.

Mike Phillips · 01-15-2016, 08:57 AM

Here's an article I wrote showing how a paint coating can be a real asset for keeping your car clean using a coin-op car wash.

Blasting Bird Bombs at the Coin-Op Car Wash!

Last Wednesday, a huge flock of birds made a stop over in our neighborhood. I think they were Purple Martins, which are native to Florida but I'm not a Ornithologist so don't quote me on this.

On Tuesday, I used the new Coating Detailer to wipe our car clean and then applied the coating booster to freshen the glassy look.

Now fast forward to Thursday and when I walk out to my wife's car I find it's been bird bombed!

This is disgusting....

This once liquid puddle of dissolved bird droppings is now just a dried film of bird droppings...

Fresh coat of Black Label Coating Booster

Had to run some errands so I figured since I had maintained the finish on this car with nothing but the Black Label Diamond Surface Coating since we did the show car makeover on it a few moths ago and because I had just two days ago did a mist & wipe with the Black Label Diamond Coating Booster, I was hoping a strong spray of water would simply b-l-a-s-t the fresh but dried bird bombs off the paint and then I wouldn't have to "touch" the bird bombs or the paint with a wash mitt.

So I drove down to the nearest coin-operated do-it-yourself car wash and for a buck fifty, I used two settings, the SOAP and RINSE buttons and successfully blasted off all traces of the bird bombs.

Protect your health

The benefit to going to the local Coin-Op Car Wash is their sprayers offer powerful water pressure to blast things like dried bird droppings off you car.

This keeps you from having to come into physical contact with the bird excrement which can be a health hazard and health risk.

Here's the paint after rinsing...

Driving down the road, in a few seconds I'm going to do a U-turn onto an empty highway and take her up to speed to blast most of the water off...

Pulled into the nearest parking lot and proceeded to wiper any remaining water off the car using a single Gold Plush Microfiber Towel, the 16" by 24" version.

No trace of the bird bombs and more important... no trace of any bird bomb etchings!

No way of knowing if it was the Black Label Diamond Surface Coating or the Black Label Diamond Coating Booster that protected the paint from the corrosive bird droppings that sat and dried on the paint but one thing for sure, there's no etching and the bird bombs themselves blasted easily and completely off the paint for a $1.50.

On Autogeek.net

Pinnacle Black Label Diamond Surface Coating

Black Label Diamond Coating Booster

Black Label Diamond Coating Detailer